


Quoth the Raven

by jemionis travels (Jemixe712)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, Not In Chronological Order, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Shifter Bucky, Shifter avengers, Shifter tony, Shifters, They work through things, ambiguous timeline, but no details, gonna be just snips of events, unreliable timeline, vague mentions of torture and experimentation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-26 12:28:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14402148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemixe712/pseuds/jemionis%20travels
Summary: Bucky was rescued from scientists who kidnap and experiment on shifters. He is brought back to a compound owned by Tony Stark to get better. While in his wolf form, he meets a raven who becomes his new friend. As a human, he realizes that things in the compound are not perfect and sets out to try and get to know their benefactor. Why is Tony helping shifters, housing them, when he isn't one himself?





	1. Chapter 1

Bucky was getting twitchy, feeling itchy and uncomfortable in his own skin. It happened sometimes, since he'd been rescued. When it did, he stopped whatever he was doing and went outside for a run. While he was captured and experimented on by the Hydra Corporation, his shifts were always controlled and managed. He never had control over when or if he changed into or out of his wolf form. So now, he always took the opportunity to change and run.

The area outside the compound was amazing, green and large, with targets programmed in so he could hunt without always killing the wildlife. They were created compliments of the compound benefactor, Tony Stark, a man Bucky has met a few times and seen others from afar. He was also a man whom the others didn't seem to like or respect because he wasn't a shifter himself, despite the fact he'd let them live in this building and helped them out. Still, Bucky was thankful because he was able to let his wolf free and it never failed to calm him down. This time, he was sitting in the compound cafeteria as the others ate lunch. Dr. Banner had suggested he spend time with the others in the compound, the makeshift pack, even if he didn't always engage in the activities with them. Bucky was listening to Clint and Natasha tease each others while Steve and Sam interjected sometimes, but otherwise stayed out of the conversation.

It started with Bucky tapping his foot, then drumming his fingers against the table. He felt like there were ants crawling along his body; something he always equated with the experiments he'd undergone while captured. With a tight smile towards Steve, Bucky stood up and left. He made his way to the wardrobe area just outside the clearing so he could remove his clothes. As soon as the door opened into the clearing, Bucky was already changed and running out.

He had activated some of the targets programmed to look like rabbits and squirrels. His wolf was excited to be able to be out and running and active. Since he was captured and experimented on, Bucky and his wolf were closer, he could feel his wolf at the surface more often. Dr. Banner explained that may be why he was more twitchy, especially when he felt like he'd been inside or cooped up too much. He lived based more on instinct than the average shifter. Dr. Banner would know as well, because he experimented on himself, effectively turning himself into a shifter, something unheard of and thought to be impossible.

When he finally felt more balanced and tired, Bucky plopped down on the ground with a huff and enjoyed the feeling of the grass under him, the sun on his white fur, and the wind blowing. He felt at peace and calm, which happened so rarely. Bucky stirred when he felt someone watching him. Looking up, he saw a raven standing nearby, just watching him. Birds were difficult for him to determine whether they were shifters or not, and ravens were harder than most. Also, as far as he knew, ravens were really rare. Even the non-shifter ravens were incredibly smart. And he didn't know the wildlife around the compound well enough to determine if they were a regular occurrence or not.

The bird was glossy black and regal looking. Bucky watched as the bird hopped closer to him, then it cawed.

“Hello.” Could ravens talk? It didn't sound like a parrot, but shifters couldn't talk when shifted. Still, the bird did nothing but stand and watch Bucky, so he put his head back down on his paws and just watched the bird back. He didn't know how long they stared at one another before the door to the clothes room opened.

“Bucky?” It was Steve and Bucky turned to see the other man looking a bit worried. When he turned back to the raven, it was gone.

Bucky and Steve were in the library so Bucky could read and catch up on some of the stuff he missed while he was being experimented on. A lot of the technology history featured the name Stark, whether it was Howard or Anthony. He’d met Tony a few times, but those times were always brief. Never more than a grunted greeting as Tony headed to or from the workshop or a meeting. But the others were either dismissive of him or ignored him altogether. Bucky thought it odd considering they were all living in the man’s house while he payed for everything. 

“So, how did Tony get involved with this whole save shifters while hunting down Hydra crusade?”

Steve looked a little uncomfortable, “Honestly Buck, I don’t know the details. I mean, he’s not a shifter but his friends are. James Rhodes and Virginia Potts. He’s an eagle with a military background and she worked for him. I don’t know the details.”

“Okay, but why is he helping? He’s housing and funding this. He helped me out a lot by letting me stay here, and you as well.”

Steve looked a little shifty now as well as uncomfortable. “Well, it turned out that some people in his company were supplying some animals and shifters to Hydra, so it could be guilt. Trying to atone for what his company was involved in? I mean, he wasn’t the one doing it, but he wasn’t paying as close attention to his company as he could have been. So it could be that.”

Bucky thought about it but he didn’t know Tony well enough to determine one way or the other. The man didn’t really spend much time with the others, but Bucky got that was more from the tension when he was in the room than any real desire on his part. 

“I get the feeling that some of the others blame him for it. Like Clint, he seems real antagonistic towards Tony.”

“Yeah, there’s some stuff in Clint’s past that makes him sensitive to that. He’s a nice guy, but he has trouble separating Tony and SI from what Stane and Hydra did. I don’t think he was kidnapped or experimented on himself, but I know he found Natasha in a facility.”

“And Tony still lets him stay? Even if Clint is a douche to him?”

Steve laughed and set his book down and sat forward in his chair. “Well, Clint can feel what he wants to feel, but so long as he isn’t actively lashing out or being unreasonable, we all leave well enough alone. We all have our own ways of working through things. Tony seems to understand there are a lot of scars that run deep and can’t be fixed overnight. So, he solves problems with his inventions and money. If he gets to assuage his conscience while he’s at it, then all the better.”

Bucky stood up and put his book away, keeping his back to Steve as he next spoke, “I don’t think I feel comfortable taking advantage of Tony this way. It seems one sided.”

“Tony’s a nice enough guy, even if he can’t understand what it’s like for a shifter, or being kidnapped and experimented on. But Tony volunteered to do this, so it’s not really you taking advantage. But, if you feel so conflicted about it, you can try getting to know him? I mean, he’s not around a lot, he’s very busy. But try talking to him.”

Bucky turned and gave Steve a small smile, “Yeah, I can do that. Thanks. I’m gonna go for a run, I’ll be back for dinner.”

With a plan forming, Bucky went out to go running, this time as a human. 

 

The plan to get to know Tony Stark was harder than originally anticipated. The man was busy or invisible or just out of the country. But Bucky kept trying. The raven, however kept Bucky's attention, even when he wasn't in wolf form. He'd often look out a window, searching for it. He was almost entirely sure it was a shifter, though he didn't know who. As far as he knew, there were no raven shifters among the other Avengers. Sam was a falcon, which was pretty much a no brainer, Natasha was an arctic fox, Rhodes was an eagle. There were a lot of bird shifters, Bucky realized. He learned Pepper was a fennec fox, as he'd seen her and Rhodes in shifted form layng outside sunning themselves. He learned Bruce wasn't originally a shifter, but after experiments trying to replicate what happened with Steve, he wound up turning himself into a really pissed off, large brown bear, which frankly, shouldn’t have been possible, even if Steve was a success story for his procedure. Steve wasn't a shifter, but he did undergo an experiment that gave him many of the abilities of a shifter, including increased strength, healing, and longevity. And Tony wasn't a shifter, and the man wasn't around much anyway. There was still a lot of tension between him and the others since their return from exile. Those were all he knew about. It was entirely possible the raven was a shifter and he just didn't know who.

Still, more often than not, when Bucky went outside, the raven would show up. He would stare at Bucky's metal arm, something that shifted with him, but the raven only looked. One day, the raven hopped closer. Bucky froze but let it happen, he was very confident the raven meant no harm but he could take it if he did something dangerous or weird. Instead, the raven settled down against Bucky's side, cuddling into his fur, black feathers against white pelt. It was nice, something he hadn't realized he missed until this raven did it. The raven even started calling out “Bucky” to get his attention.

One day, the raven brought a toy, a ball with a handle the bird could grip in his beak or claws. When he landed, he kicked the ball towards Bucky, giving him an expectant look. So that's how Bucky found himself actually playing fetch with a raven. The bird would pick the ball up and carry it then drop it for Bucky to chase after. The raven dropped the ball into some bushes, and when Bucky was rooting around for it, the damn bird swooped down and pulled his tail. When Bucky whirled around, a growl of betrayal sounding, the bird was on the ground, sounding like he was laughing. Once Bucky got the ball, he carried it to the bird, dropped it nearby, then pushed his cold, wet nose into the bird, not letting him up. 

For his part, Bucky found he was having fun, something he couldn't remember doing in a long time. He'd never been able to play while captured and experimented on by Hydra, and he hadn't played since he was rescued. His memory was spotty from before he was captured, but he was sure he'd played before that. Maybe with his old pack?

One morning as he was in the common room with Sam, Steve, Natasha, Clint, and Rhodes, he Bucky asked about the raven. “Steve, do you know anything about a raven shifter who hangs out here at the compound?”

Steve stopped drawing to answer, “No. There's no raven shifters as far as I know around here. We can ask around, if you'd like?”

Bucky didn't answer immediately. He liked the idea of having something his own, a friendship that wasn't intruded upon by the others or the outside world. Before he could tell Steve that things were good, there was no need to ask for now, Steve asked Sam and Rhodes.

“Hey, do you guys know of a raven shifter? One's been bothering Bucky.”

Both men looked at Bucky, but while Sam was shaking his head no, Rhodes had his eyes narrowed.

“There's an unknown shifter around here. When we came here, Tony said his security was the best.” Clint sounded on the verge of anger. Everyone took security seriously, especially since Hydra was active, and they hadn’t cleared out the latest group, but Clint was a little bit more uptight about it. Bucky learned that members of his last group, or pack were taken from their homes.

It was Rhodey who spoke up, “Tony's security is second to none, so if a raven shifter has access to the compound, you can believe he's been cleared. This vendetta you have against Tony is baseless and it's getting old.”

Clint was standing up and Natasha had a hand on his arm. Clint was a coyote shifter who was very protective of Natasha’s fox.

“Rhodes, Tony isn't a shifter so he can't understand what it's like for them to be kidnapped and experimented on, to be treated like mindless animals.”

Sam backed away from Rhodes, and Bucky didn't blame him. The man looked positively livid.

“Tony has helped you every step of the way fighting the scientists and extremists who kidnap and experiment on shifters. He helped you find Natasha and get her to safety and the help she needs to heal. He's opened this compound so you and the others have a place to stay and form a pack and rehabilitate the others you find. And you still treat him like he's an outsider?”

Two of the others who resided at the compound entered as well, Thor and Wanda. Thor wasn’t a shifter, but he had the ability to speak with all animals because he was a god, so he had the all-speak. It was handy. Wanda wasn’t a shifter either, but she had powers she wasn’t willing to discuss. But she had an intense dislike for Tony she didn’t hide, even if she never explained the why. Clint said it was because SI was responsible for her brother’s death.

“Tony is one of those people who are obsessed with shifters and wants to be one. If he wasn't helping them, it wouldn't surprise me that he'd have joined those experimenting on them.”

Rhodey swung towards Wanda after she finished talking, and even the others were looking shocked at her words.

“You're not a shifter either, Wanda. If that's the metric we're using, then you shouldn't be here either. You volunteered to work for Hydra, only turning on them when your brother died from their experiments. Your powers aren't shifter based. I don't care about any of your opinions about Tony, like him or not. But you will respect what he's done to help you and provide for you while you live under his roof. If you can't deal with that, you are free to leave.”

With one last glare, Rhodes left. There was an oppressive silence as everyone tried to get back into a breakfast rhythm. Bucky just looked back down at the glass of orange juice he was drinking and refused to say anything. But his mind was busy.

Coming to a decision, he downed the rest of his juice, then followed after Rhodes. When he caught up with him, he made sure they were alone.

“The raven is Tony, isn't it?”

Rhodes' jaw was tight and he didn't answer. He didn't even look at Bucky.

“He's been visiting me. When I go for my runs, or when I need to shift to get my head back on straight, he's there. We play.”

“Tony doesn't share that he's a shifter. There are very good reasons for it, some stemming from his father, some from the fact that people see raven shifters as bad omens or something. Even other shifters do. They associate them with death.”

“Why doesn't Tony tell the others he's a shifter? They'd probably stop giving him as much crap as they do now.”

At this, Rhodes levels a spectacularly unimpressed look at Bucky. “If the only reason they like Tony is because he's a shifter, and not because of him, how much he's helped them, his actions, and who he is, then why should he tell them? They're either going to like him for him or not at all, not because he happens to be able to shift. He doesn't want that kind of friendship. Would you?”

It must have been a rhetorical question because Rhodes just shook his head then continued walking wherever he was originally headed. But it did give Bucky a lot to think about.

The next time he shifted, Bucky waited for Tony to come, but he never did. Instead, Bucky decided to hope for the best and venture down into Tony's workshop, where he spent a large amount of his time. He knew Tony was an engineer and a scientist, but he never knew the specifics. When he reached the mysterious workshop, Bucky found the door was locked. He knocked but was still surprised when the door opened automatically.

“Barnes, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

The workshop was amazing and reminded Bucky of every science fiction and fantasy novel he’d ever read. It took his breath away when he saw the different shades of blue and green. The clutter and organized chaos. It was so different from the Hydra labs he’d been held in that he couldn’t even compare the two. He could spend forever down here and never get tired of it. 

“Barnes? Bucky? Hey, you okay? Is this a flashback? Do I need to get Steve?”

“No, I’m fine, I’m good. Just, I was wondering where you were when you didn’t show up in the field.”

If he wasn’t staring so intently at Tony, Bucky may have missed the minute pause before the other man answered. Then he moved in a burst of energy, picking up a tablet and waving it, moving different holograms aside. Tony was a flurry of movement, of distraction, of nervous energy.

“I don’t go to the clearing, I have no need to do so. I’ve been busy down here, working on some stuff for SI, and running algorithms and traces for any more signs of Hydra.”

“Tony.”

At that, Tony paused in his fiddling, Bucky made sure to keep his voice soft and gentle. He reached out, with his metal arm, and grabbed hold of Tony’s hand not holding his tablet. 

“Thank you. I don’t remember much from before my capture, but during I know I was miserable. I was kept in wolf form, never allowed to do anything while they experimented on me. You’ve helped me a lot and I enjoy the times we play and spend together. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to continue.”

Even this little bit of touch, holding Tony’s hand, made Bucky remember how tactile he was even in human form, not just wolf. He liked the feel of Tony’s hand, a mixture of soft skin over rough calluses. Well manicured nails that had oil and dirt underneath. 

Tony bit his bottom lip and stared somewhere around Bucky’s ear.

“I liked it too. The others...they don’t know I’m a shifter.”

“I know and I won’t tell them.” Now that he knew, was looking for it, Bucky could see Tony as a raven. They were both amazingly smart, but playful. The raven would talk and laugh, and in some moments with Rhodes and Ms. Potts, he’d seen Tony act the same way. They were both curious and inquisitive. And ravens had a certain beauty and allure that Tony definitely had too. He’d done some reading on ravens after that first meeting. He also read ravens and wolves liked to hang out together in the wild, and that fit. It made Bucky feel warm inside, in his bones, in his gut. 

“If you like, we can invite Rhodes and Ms. Potts to join us? I think I’m ready to be around more shifters while they’re in their animal forms, and I think you’d be comfortable with people you know and trust present too.”

Tony was smiling widely and Bucky was struck by how handsome it made him look. Less troubled. Less lonely. Bucky decided he was going to help Tony, help him smile more, help him be more happy. 


	2. Finding Bucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding Bucky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: I don't go into detail, and it doesn't happen, but there is some talk about potentially euthanizing animals which have been tortured and experimented on off screen. It is really short, and heavily implied that it won't happen and mentioned that it is a last resort and not something anyone wants to do unless absolutely necessary.

Steve was anxious and angry and if he were a shifter, he’d probably be in animal form and prowling. Dr. Erskine said he used a lot of the predator shifters, mainly lion and tiger, in the serum and Steve could feel it. It was an itch under his skin. He felt like he had an animal inside that didn’t need to come out, but he got the urges anyway. And right now, if he could shift, Steve would have and already charging out to the location Tony passed.

 

Steve knew Tony’s father as he’d been one of the people who helped Dr. Erskine with his serum. The serum managed to imbue Steve with some of the more preferred shifter traits, such as longevity, increased healing, enhanced senses like smell and sight, and increased strength without actually turning him into a shifter. Before meeting Dr. Bruce Banner, that was believed to be impossible. 

 

Now, Steve found himself living in a compound provided by Tony Stark, as they hunt down different enclaves of Hydra. Hydra liked to kidnap and experiment on shifters. From some of the scientists and workers Steve had fought against, some believed shifters were animals and should be exterminated as such. However much these people hated shifters didn’t preclude them from trying to gain as much from them as possible. From some of the notes Tony and Bruce had deciphered, they were conducting experiments into replicating Dr. Erskine’s formula to give them enhanced senses. Bruce and Tony believed they had ties to different militia groups and military groups around the world, which is why they wanted to create their own soldier enhancing serum. 

 

None of that had Steve on edge this time though. Instead, Tony had come to him earlier in the week and said he’d found some breadcrumbs about a compound in the mountains in Eastern Europe somewhere that had a white wolf. Steve’s best friend, who’d been captured decades ago, was a white wolf. They were rare enough that chances were high it was Bucky. 

 

“These are just some small pieces of information, Steve, nothing concrete. We can’t go running in YET!” Tony had to yell the last word because Steve was gearing up to lay into Tony, and then still storm out. 

 

“I don’t have an exact location of the laboratories, just give me one more day before you go off. Natasha is gathering information and I have algorithms and JARVIS looking into things from the tech side. We can get Rhodey and Sam to help as well.”

 

Steve deflated and walked to a chair. They were in the common room in the compound. It was a beautiful day. And Steve told he may have found Bucky only to be immediately told he couldn’t get to him now. He looked up when Tony sat on the low coffee table in front of his chair.

 

“Look, I understand this is important to you, but you cannot go rampaging in there right now. If Hydra got their hands on you...you’d be giving them exactly what they want. You need a plan, and this is me telling you. Just, give us one more day, and I promise, information or no, I will personally fly you to the area myself.”

 

With a heavy sigh, Steve hung his head, resting his elbows on his knees. “I know Tony and I appreciate you helping me. I couldn’t have gotten this far on my own. I didn’t even know Bucky could be alive until you told me it was possible.”

 

It was true. It wasn’t until Tony told him he’d been going through some of the paperwork from when Stane was involved with selling shifters to Hydra labs that he learned Bucky may be alive. There was a manifest for the transport of a white wolf with pale blue eyes. They were rare enough that it got Steve’s hopes up. 

 

Tony rested his hand on Steve’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. When Steve looked up, the other man was sporting a tight smile. Steve recognized that Tony harbored a lot of guilt and regret over what Obadiah Stane had done while working for Stark Industries. When he uncovered the depths of Stane’s involvement with kidnapping and experimenting and trafficking shifters, animals, and even humans, Tony stopped it, though no one really knows how. Just, Stane was gone. 

 

If Steve really were a shifter, rather than just enhanced like one, he was sure he’d be a feline, likely a lion. He got little bits of insight due to instinct, like now. With Tony’s hand on his shoulder, with him being so close, Steve felt like he could purr. And he also found he wanted to touch Tony back, rub against him like a cat. And he saw Tony as his to a greater extent than he did the others. Steve could admit Tony was attractive, and it wasn’t outside the norm for shifters and humans to mate, even though Steve was not a shifter. He did still have a lot of their instincts. However, as much as he found Tony attractive, and would like to pursue a relationship with him, finding Bucky took up a lot of his attention. 

 

The general population didn’t know about shifters and it was better that way. It ordinary people knew that people could turn into animals at will, even if they did keep their humanity, things would go very badly for shifters. Hydra was evidence of that; and Hydra was just the group Steve knew about. Chances were there were others as well. 

 

“So, I’m going to go...plan. Look at maps and review the information we have on Hydra. Talk with Sam and Rhodes.”

 

Tony gave Steve another shoulder squeeze and a smile, then said he was going to be down in the workshop, working on finding more information.

 

“Sure, Tony. I’ll bring down some dinner for you to eat later.” Then, making sure he had Tony’s eyes locked on him, “Thank you, Tony. I mean it.”

 

Between Tony and Natasha, they found the Hydra compound and labs, or close enough that they were confident they could find it easily. Those coming along were Natasha and Clint, shifted for the flight. Rhodes and Sam, Tony, Bruce, and Steve. Rhodey and Sam would fly ahead and scout the area, while Tony would hack into any security the base had. Steve knew Tony could fight as well, so the other man would likely wind up in the thick of things if needed. 

 

“Hydra documents things and records things intricately. If they weren’t horrible people who dealt in trafficking, kidnapping, torture, and unethical experimentation, I’d be impressed.”

 

Clint glared at Tony, but that was nothing new. Clint tolerated Tony so long as the other man helped shifters. Otherwise, they stayed out of one another’s way. Clint blamed Tony for SI’s actions in the kidnapped shifters. Steve thought that was unfair, but Tony had told him that Clint needed someone to blame, and that he wasn’t without culpability in SI’s actions anyway. All Tony could do was try and prove to Clint through his actions that he was doing what he could to help, he was a good person. 

They arrived in a small village in Bulgaria that seemed to be right out of a gothic novel. Natasha took the lead, speaking with different villagers with Clint watching. Steve and Tony were at a small cafe, looking at maps and drinking coffee. Tony was on his tablet because Steve was convinced that man was a walking wi-fi hot-spot. He had connection anywhere. Tony was known, as he was known pretty much everywhere. So they were playing up the tourist angle, trying to keep separate from Clint and Natasha. Sam and Rhodes were already shifted and flying, reconnoitering the area. They were all going to meet back in an hour to exchange information. 

“There’s a compound in the mountains north of here.” Rhodes gratefully took the sweats and t-shirt Tony handed him, while Sam had already changed and was drinking orange juice. 

“That’s what the locals say too. They said that a research company bought the area about five years ago and built the compound. They only started inhabiting the place about seven months ago.”

After finishing his orange juice, Sam joined them, “It’s pretty well fortified since it’s built in a mountain. I noticed guard towers and sentries, as well as camera. So I’m sure they’ve got more stuff as security.”

Steve turned to Tony who’d already turned his tablet for everyone to see. “I’ve got satellite feed of the area, it’s recent, from a few days ago, since that was the last time an SI satellite was over this area. I’ll have to be closer to get JARVIS in to help me infiltrate their security and shut it down. But honestly, and this is me saying this, I think a sneak attack would be better.”

Rhodes and Sam were agreeing with him, already nodding their heads. 

“Just get me in. The more of these things we shut down, the more of these bastards we kill, the better.”

 

Natasha put a calming hand on Clint’s arm, “There is someone who comes into town on the weekends. A woman with red hair, she introduced herself as Wanda. She started out working with Hydra, but recently had expressed some misgivings about them to some of the towns people.”

 

Steve nodded, “We can use that. If we can have someone on the inside, they could help us find out if they have Bucky, and if they have any other shifters who need to be rescued.”

Steve seemed to feel better, calmer now that they had a plan. They were going to hit the facility that night, so they could rest for a few hours and hit Hydra when they weren’t expecting it. The only thing that would make this perfect would be if Bucky were actually in the facility. Rhodes and Sam shifted again to scout the area, using their regular signals of one cry for safe to proceed and two for danger, go back. Natasha would shift into her fox form, since it’s small and stealthy. Steve and Clint would come do clean up, and Tony would follow for tech support and to get any stragglers the others may have missed. Bruce was usually the medic, or he’d come out for the really big problems. 

 

As they were approaching the compound, Sam let out a questioning call. He sounded confused, in as much as a falcon could convey confusion through sound. Tony’s comms devices were attached to the shifters around their leg, and was easily detachable so they didn’t lose it when shifting, and it didn’t present a danger to them. So, everyone was able to hear Sam’s call. 

 

Shortly after, Natasha came up on comms, “Guys, the scientists left.”

 

Steve paused in his tracks, “Say again, Natasha?”

 

Rhodes must have found a place to land and change because he spoke next. “She’s right. The security guys were saw earlier are gone. They all bugged out.”

 

“Dammit! Guys, what tipped them off?”

 

Steve was angry. He felt like he’d come so close to finding Bucky, only to have the opportunity snatchd from his fingers. 

 

“Maybe they were alerted by someone hacking into their security systems?” Clint was on full alert, every muscle tensed, even as insulted Tony. 

 

“Or maybe people in town noticed you looking shifty and armed? Why don’t we carefully search the compound and see what we can find before we start slinging around accusatoins, Clint.” 

 

“Tony’s right. Let’s search the facility, look for clues and intel. No one goes alone. Sam and Rhodes are together, Clint and Natasha, and Tony’ll be with me. Bruce, we’ll call you in once we know it’s all clear for sure.”

 

The inside of the labs were creepy, like a mad scientist’s lab from a horror movie. Steve could hear the sounds of animals crying and whining, but he didn’t know if they were shifters or regular animals. They were in cages. Tony found a computer, so Steve left him to it, and went to search the adjacent rooms. 

 

“Looks like this facility were regular animals. They hadn’t been here long enough to get to the human or shifter testing yet.”

 

Steve let out a sigh, as much as he hated Hydra and their experiments, he was glad it was on regular animals and not shifter or humans, little comfort though it was. 

 

“Guys, I have blueprints and it looks like there’s a hidden room where Sam and Rhodey are searching. We’re gonna head up your way now and help search.”

 

Steve followed Tony out, getting ahold of Clint and Natasha, “Guys, get Bruce in here and help take these animals out and to the van. We’ll rehabilitate the ones we can, and decide what to do with the others who can’t be.”

 

Putting down any animals who were too traumatized would be hard, but they had Doctor Helen Cho, who was an amazing doctor specializing in shifters, in both their human and animal forms. She’d do everything possible to help them; euthanasia would be a last resort. 

“Guys, I got something.”

Sam’s voice was quiet, though still clear over the comms. He sounded like he was trying to calm someone down. When Steve reached the room Rhodes and Sam said they were, he wanted to back out again. The room was more a torture room than a scientific laboratory. And it was filthy. Steve could smell the fear and desperation from the room, it was so strong it lingered. How many animals had they experimented on in here?

He pushed through it and saw what had Rhodes’ and Sam’s attention. A white wolf with clear blue eyes, and a silver prosthetic. The wolf’s ears were back, his tail down, the fur on the ridge of his back raised, and his mouth was lifted in a snarl. 

“Hey, it’s okay. We’re here to help you, we’re gonna get you out of here.”

Steve walked slowly towards the caged wolf, not keeping eye contact to challenge. Now was not the time. He crouched down and started walking on his knees. 

“Guys, I’m going to open the cage door, and if it looks like he’s going to attack, tranq him.”

Carefully, and slowly, Steve reached out and unlatched the cage, letting the door swing open. He didn’t make any sudden movements, letting the wolf decide on his own to come out. When he didn’t immediately attack, Steve let out a sigh of relief. 

“Hey buddy, can you come out? We’ll get you out of here and have a doctor check you out. Get you some food.”

The wolf snarled some more and crouched down. There was intelligence in the wolf’s eyes, but Steve didn’t know if it was because wolves are smart or because he was a shifter. If he was a shifter, the animal side was riding strong and close to the surface. Likely Hydra doped him up on something to keep him in his animal form, push the humanity back. Or he’d been shifted so long, he’d all but forgotten his humanity.

“Can you turn human? Can you shift for me? It’ll be easier to get you out of here.”

 

Steve had just started to reach his hand out, allow the wolf to scent him when the wolf struck. The white wolf lunged at Steve and pinned him down flat on his back. Jaws open and coming towards Steve’s neck. Then the wolf let out a pained yelp and slumped heavily on Steve, forcing the breath from his lungs. It all happened so fast, Steve barely had time to react. Luckily Clint had arrived in the nick of time and tranq’d the wolf. 

 

“Thanks for that.” 

 

“Sure thing. So, pretty dog.”

 

Sometimes Steve thought Clint was jealous of wolves since he was a coyote, but then he realized that sometimes Clint is just an ass. 

 

“Just, help me get him moved so we can take him to the van. Dr. Cho definitely needs to check him out.”

 

Clint and Steve started moving the wolf, carefully in case there were injuries not visible. When they were at the van, Bruce doing preliminary triage, Steve realized everyone was present except for Tony. When had Tony slipped away? For a man whose personality filled a room, that man was able to slip away without anyone noticing, even shifters.

 

“Tony? What’s the hold up?”

 

“Hey, did you guys find a white wolf with a silver leg? Front left?”

 

Steve’s eyes slid to the wolf, a feeling of apprehension forming in his gut. 

 

“Yeah. He’s in the van with us.”

 

“That’s the only shifter here, and according to these files, that wolf is James Buchanan Barnes.”

 

Steve’s hand tightened into a fist and he stared at the wolf, his best friend, Bucky. 

**Author's Note:**

> I saw the scene of raven!Tony tugging wolf!Bucky's tail and ran with it. And I do feel like I started somewhere in the middle with no back story, but I have plans to flush it out throughout the story. I've got a few ideas on this while I'm working on my other story too. I think the end game may be Stuckony, because I like that idea. Hopefully this story follows the mental outline I have.  
> Leave a kudos or comment because I thrive on positive reinforcement.  
> Also come find me on tumblr: jemionis-travels.


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